Interview Transcript

Speaker 1:

Can either of you remember a time when you've (pause) like had a fight or a falling out?

Speaker 2:

What in the family?

Speaker 1:

Yeah

Speaker 2:

Ah aye we've had plenty squabbles I mean nothing serious but (laughter) one thing that sticks in my mind em I'm the second oldest I've got an older sister and em (pause) she was eh I got up earlier than her one day and I thought oh I'll be nice and take her her breakfast in bed and I put some cornflakes in a bowl and some milk, took them up on a tray I thought she'd be really pleased, went in her room and em soon as I went in she opened her eyes she started shouting and screaming at us for waking her up (laughter) and I was so incensed and annoyed after doing this good deed that she was shouting us to get out (pause) annoyed for waking her up that I just threw the tray on the bed (laughter) of course the cornflakes and milk spilt all over her (pause) her bed sheets and that and she started screaming and jumping up trying to (pause) catch hold of us and I just ran straight in the bathroom and locked the door 'cause it was the only (pause) em room in the house with a bolt (unclear)(laughter) I stayed in there for hours frightened to come out 'cause she was waiting for (cough) waiting to get us

Speaker 1:

(interruption) Really?

Speaker 2:

(interruption) But em (pause) uh-huh but I always remember that (unclear) doing her a good deed and all she could do was shout at us for waking her up (pause) and it (laughter) it was just an instinct to (pause) throw the tray down on the bed

Speaker 1:

(laughter)

Speaker 2:

(laughter) Uh-huh she had to change all her sheets and that were all wet with milk and soggy cornflakes (laughter) but em (pause) the odd squabble and that but nothing serious it's just like normal sisters and you know brothers do they have arguments and (pause) but no big fights or anything, disagreements you know (pause) you soon make it up afterwards you forget about things (interruption) then you're friends again.

Speaker 1:

(interruption) Yeah

Speaker 1:

What about you?

Speaker 3:

I can't really recall any (pause) thing (pause) specific really I mean we had probably had fights and arguments and (pause) but we I don't think we ever fell out for a (pause) any length of time (pause) I just think they were normal shouting matches

Speaker 1:

Did you ever play any like tricks on each other or anything?

Speaker 3:

No I don't I -- I can't -- I can't recall any but I wasn't the ki- I'm not a trickster anyway so (pause) I would be worried about people's feelings if eh

Speaker 1:

(laughter)

Speaker 3:

You know if they were embarrassed or (pause) upset or (pause) hurt by it so I -- I'm not a (pause) a trick player (pause) so that's -- that's uh (unclear)

Speaker 1:

(laughter) Em (pause) can you remember a time when you got into trouble with your parents?(pause) or were you sensible? (laughter)

Speaker 2:

I was quite sensible I didn't really get up to anything bad em

Speaker 2:

(interruption) Em

Speaker 3:

I think it (interruption) just was just normal -- normal things that eh you got wrong for really (pause) but one of the things I used to get wrong for was dodging I had to go to Sunday School which I hated (pause) and eh there was one time where me and my cousin(pause) or I don't know if it was two of my cousins but (pause) (NAME) was there and I think there was another cousin there and we decided not to go (pause) and I used to be in the Cubs at the time and this the woman at the Sunday School looked after the Cubs and she looked after the Sunday School kids (pause) and I d- I was out all day -- all day long (pause) em (pause) do- we lost track of time and the Sunday School was only going to last an hour and I was out about six hours

Speaker 2:

Mm

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 3:

And (laughter) when I got back I got the biggest hiding of my life because I had been (pause) out so long but why I got a hiding was (pause) I was asked if Sunday school was all right and I said 'Oh yes dad it was smashing' (laughter) a- and I hadn't been and Mrs (NAME) had told on me she had -- she had eh (pause) grassed on us and she said em (pause) they went out looking for me and they couldn't find me but it was the lie that I got the hiding for

Speaker 1:

(laughter)

Speaker 3:

Not the fact that I was out for

Speaker 1:

Ah really

Speaker 3:

Six hours and dodged Sunday School it was the fact that I lied and my mam hated (pause) lies so you couldn't tell my mam lies

Speaker 1:

Mm

Speaker 2:

Mm-mm I was terrible for getting up I was always late for school so I was always getting shouted at for that (pause) get up out of bed (laughter) so I was always late running up for school -- to school at the last minute and even when I got my first job(laughter)(pause) I was often late for that dashing at the last minute for the bus(laughter)

Speaker 1:

(laughter)

Speaker 1:

Has there ever been like an accident in your family where someone got hurt?

Speaker 2:

(pause) Not anything major I remember once we used to go on day trips to Cullercoats in the summer and my little sister was em the tide was out she was walking on the rocks at Cullercoats, as you do just looking for crabs and things and she slipped 'cause there was a lot of green algae on the rocks (pause) and broke her ankle and my poor dad had to carry her on his give her a piggy back (pause) from the rocks all the way to the beach and then from the beach he had to t- take her to get the train back to Newcastle to go to the RVI 'cause in those days you wouldn't you couldn't afford to get a taxi(pause) not like you would now 'cause of course we didn't have a car we didn't couldn't afford a car but we couldn't affordtaxis em (pause) he had to carry her on his back all the way (pause) eh on the train(pause) of course they didn't have the Metros in those days was just the eh (pause) to go to the train station and wait ages for a train it was quite a long journey(pause) to Central Station (pause) you had to go all the way up to the RVI and she got it X-rayed and a plaster put on but (pause) mm-mm there's been little a- accidents like that but nothing major

Speaker 3:

Yeah I mean there was only there's (pause) been loads of little things you know split chins and stuff like that (pause) but the major one that everybody would be able to (pause) eh (pause) recall was when (pause) my brother (NAME) (pause) he's -- he -- I think he's the youngest I'm not sure really sure he's the (unclear) he's the second youngest but he was the youngest at the time and he was just like at crawling stage and he crawled under (pause) through the fire guard and em (pause) was very very badly burnt (pause) em (pause) I don't know if it w- what percentage it was but was quite high (pause) and I -- I had run through from the kitchen 'cause I heard some -- some screaming and (pause) shouting my mam who she was lying down or something and he had to go to hospital and he was in hospital for (pause) quite a few (pause) think it was (pause) into the months you know (pause) em very very serious burns (pause) em and he still has got some scars now (pause) to this day (pause) so that was the -- the major one apart from that it was just the same (pause) same really all little accidents cut hands and cut legs and cut fingers and (pause) but that -- that's the thing nine -- nine kids and there's only been one really major (pause) incident

Speaker 2:

Mm-mm I remember my little sister trying to close the front door and when she -- when she stepped back (pause) she slipped on the milk bottles 'cause then you always got your milk delivered in the glass bottles and she fell onto the milk bottles and one (pause) smashed (pause) and em (pause) I remember her going to hospital for that because she had some cuts (pause) at the top of her legs and things that were bleeding a lot (pause) mm-mm

Speaker 1:

Em (pause) about school, what school did you go to?

Speaker 2:

Eh I went to a Catholicschoolprimaryschool, junior school(pause) and then I went to Kenton ComprehensiveSchool after that (pause) em but they were just local schools just nearby where I lived at the time

Speaker 1:

What about you?

Speaker 3:

Well it's the -- it's the same I mean eh my childhood was (pause) em more or less was in two parts (pause) you know where we lived so it was a s- there was a house move and there was a school move so I started off down in (pause) Elswick area going to (pause) Elswick School(pause) and then when we moved up to Cowgate we had another school to go (pause) to there in another area so that was Montague that was the junior school and then from there we just went to comprehensiveschools in the area

Speaker 1:

(cough) Did yous like school(pause) was it a good time?

Speaker 3:

I hated school it was the worst time of my life

Speaker 1:

Really?

Speaker 3:

Yeah I was I hated it, every single minute of it

Speaker 1:

Mm (pause) why?

Speaker 3:

Eh (sigh)(pause) I'd have to say basically was the -- was the bullying eh that I received I got (pause) was a victim of at school(pause) and it wasn't only em because of the poor upbringing it wasn't only the (pause) kids it was some of the teachers as well if you we- wearing the right uniform or you -- you weren't doing this that and the other (pause) em so I used to (pause) dodge school for (pause) because of the bullying but also I used to try and avoid some of the teachers(interruption) so I would st- I would purposely stop off school

Speaker 2:

(interruption) Mm-mm

Speaker 2:

I -- I remember getting hit on the head with a h- hard book ee really hard he slammed it down this mathsteacher(pause) thought I wasn't paying attention (pause) it really hurt made my eyes water (pause) and another time I remember in the junior school there was this teacher used to have a big thick ruler and she used to make you put your -- hold your hand out with your knuckles showing and she used to ram it down on your knuckles just for the least little thing (pause) course they -- they'd get imprisoned if they did that these days wouldn't they?

Speaker 2:

(interruption) Child abuse

Speaker 3:

(interruption) One of the -- one of the things I hated (pause) well apart from the things I've just said was (pause) when I talked about bullying from the teachers, and I call it bullying (pause) eh if you didn't have the right uniform but you never had the right uniform on because we were so poor my mam couldn't get them and when she did get them (pause) they weren't the right ones (pause) but you ha- you had when you ha- went for your dinner(pause) you had to eat(pause) what was put down to you and you had to eat everything

Speaker 2:

Mm

Speaker 3:

And you would start off with eh with your dinner and then you would have a pudding(pause) and if your dinner(pause) you didn't like anything and you had to eat it and this would take you right through three sittings I would be sitting there trying to eat(unclear) cabbage or trying to eatonions

Speaker 2:

(interruption) Mm-mm aye the di- I remember a dinner(pause) uh-huh

Speaker 3:

(interruption) or the- they would come along and bang the spoon on the table (unclear) you -- you've still got I used to try to avoid one of the worst things was the skin on the custard and you had you used to go and get the (pause)(interruption) you used to go and get the em

Speaker 2:

(interruption)(laughter)

Speaker 3:

You -- you take your bowl and you get your piece of cake in and you were in a line (pause) and I used to watch for them (pause) starting a new jug

Speaker 2:

(cough)(laughter)

Speaker 3:

'Cause at the top of the jug there was a thick layer of skin (pause) and they did put a fork over it or something like that but you always got skin and I hated custard anyway (pause) so I would always get this mound of skin no matter where I stood in the queue (pause) I would always get this (interruption) mound of skin and I would take it back to the table and I just couldn't

Speaker 2:

(interruption)(laughter)

Speaker 2:

It's funny 'cause me and my sister used to love the skin on the top of the custard 'cause we used to think it was like blancmange (pause) we used to always like it if we got the skin but there was one dinner lady who was really bossy and I remember she used to stand over you till you finished with everything on your plate (pause) if there was something you didn't like she'd stand over you until my you know

Speaker 3:

I think the s-

Speaker 2:

Till you had eaten it they wouldn't let you leave hardly anything

Speaker 3:

The s- I think the schools would be sued now if you did that to kids these days

Speaker 2:

Mm-mm (pause) ah (interruption) yeah

Speaker 3:

(interruption) You know you're sat there and because we were -- we were we had free dinners(pause) that made it worse because everybody knew that you had free dinners 'cause they would (pause) if -- if people were paying shillings or whatever it was for their -- their dinners you would be left till last and there would be like three of yous on free dinners all the rest of the school would be going to pay their shillings or whatever it was (pause) and then they w- and then the teacher would go em 'Frees' (pause) you know (pause) '(NAME) (NAME)' and -- and it would be maybe another couple of poor kids and then that was (pause) you were labelled all through the day (pause) by not only the kids but the teachers and that's why the teachers made a big thing of it in the dinner hall in front of everybody, you're on free dinners you know you've got to -- you've got to eat all that and it was the worst time (pause) trying to sit there through three sittings trying to eat it and in the end I learnt that if I just sat there during the whole hour and a half (pause) of the -- of the dinner and just not done anything else and not e- eat it they couldn't, at the end of the day they had to send you back to class (pause) so I used to just sit (pause) and stare at cabbage or sit and stare at -- at set custard cake with those (pause) like hundreds and thousands on the top of it

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 3:

I used to just sit and stare at it

Speaker 2:

Mm I used to hate the stews 'cause they used to hardly ever cut the fat off the meat, fatty meat in a s- like a stew or goulash wasn't very nice (pause)(interruption) 'cause eh

Speaker 3:

(interruption) So yous have got it (pause) kids these days have got it very good at school compared to us

Speaker 1:

(laughter)

Speaker 2:

Well you get a choice these days don't you we didn't you just got there was the one dinner wasn't (interruption) there?

Speaker 3:

(interruption) Yeah you just got a dinner and they (interruption) put it down to you

Speaker 2:

(interruption) you just, everyone got the same and you had to eat that uh-huh (pause) didn't get a choice like you do these days

Speaker 1:

Em (pause) did you have a favourite subject at school?

Speaker 2:

Well I always loved English and Biology, I always used to love tho- those lessons(pause) just used to find them interesting and eh (pause) to look forward to them but I hated maths

Speaker 3:

Well my favourite subject was (pause)history believe it or not em (pause) but I didn't like the teacher(pause) em (pause) but (unclear) said earlier that hated school I most I more or less hated everything, but if I had to say then my favourite subject was history I uh I loved learning about the Romans and y- Tudor times and stuff like that so that was the only time I felt comfortable at school although I ha- teacher(pause) I hated the teacher em (pause) the subject was interesting

Speaker 1:

Have you ever gotten in trouble at school?

Speaker 2:

Oh I was always well behaved really at school but I remember (pause) em (pause) getting sent into the toilets to take some makeup off I just had a little bit mascara on (pause) I mean I think I was in my early teens then you know and girls started to wear a bit mascara and that (pause) uh it was em (pause) for a gymlesson(pause) right snooty teacher(pause) and she said 'Go into the toilets and (pause) rub that eye makeup off.' I just had to get a hard piece of em (pause) paper towel and some coldwater and course it wouldn't come off I was trying to rub it but (pause) and I remember getting s- em (pause) told off for wearing when the platform shoes first came out (pause) the teacher suddenly stood outside the classroom door and before you went in she was examining a- all -- every (pause) all the girls all their shoes(pause) course and a lot of wuh had the new platform shoes on (pause) and she said eh 'You're not allowed to wear them' (pause) had to wear a sensible pair (sigh)(pause) but little things like that really I never got into trouble I was never a trouble maker or anything (pause) was always very quiet at school and well behaved

Speaker 3:

Well yeah most of my issues were because (pause) of what I've already said about bullying so I used to stay away from (pause)school, when I went back I was all right I was good but I if I'd stuck I would have been even better but most of my issues were because I was trying to explain why I wasn't at school and (pause) em (pause) uh um the only time I ever got into any real trouble I was playing football in the yard and you weren't allowed to play football in the yard and playing football with a little tennis ball, and everybody else had stopped playing football and I didn't see (pause) a teacher looking out the window and I just kept on trying to score a goal. I thought it was odd because no-one was tackling us

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 3:

And I was just like playing on my own (laughter) stupid you know so the -- the teacher come out (unclear) and he says 'Right in- into the er office'(pause) em (pause) 'You're going to get s- the strap' you know? So he says put your hand out and eh (pause) you were always told to put your -- your right hand out by the kids 'cause if they belted you you couldn't write and that would be an excuse for you not to go to your next lesson but he said 'Left hand' so I held my left hand out and he says 'If you do (pause) if you move it, you get another one' so I held my hand out and he s- got on the (pause) chair with this big thick strap and he jumped off the chair well of course I instinctively moved my hand away

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 3:

And he says 'Right' he says 'that's two you're going to get and if you move your hand again that's three' (pause) I ended up getting four (pause) full pelts on my hand and my hand came up in big blisters, again if that happened these days (interruption) that teacher would be (laughter) away with the mixer

Speaker 2:

(interruption) Mm-mm I know uh-huh

Speaker 3:

He would be probably imprisoned he actually stood on a chair and jumped off the chair to belt it

Speaker 2:

Terrible that, I remember our headmaster having a big thick leather belt with the prongs on the end (pause) it was terrible really and you know grown boys used to go (pause) they were sent to him if they were really naughty

Speaker 3:

Mm-mm

Speaker 2:

Or sometimes it was just you know trivial things em (pause) and she used to send them along out the class and they would come back crying some of them 'cause it hurt that much

Speaker 3:

It does hurt, it did hurt

Speaker 2:

It's terrible really you felt awful and they come back in the class with tears in their eyes and you could see they had been crying (pause) but eh (pause) you (pause)(interruption) know things like that were just allowed weren't they for punishment?

Speaker 3:

(interruption) Imagine that (pause)(laughter) imagine that happening now

Speaker 2:

(interruption) I know it's terrible really

Speaker 3:

(interruption)(unclear)punishment was punishment in those days and I always remember one guy he was a big trouble maker and he put some magazine down his trousers and he was getting (pause) caned in front of (pause) e- everybody at the assembly (pause) make an example of him and the teacher(pause) he found his magazine and of course this guy was this -- this young kid was just laughing and he pulled the magazine out of his pants and says 'Right you're really going to get it now' and he walked (pause) it was on the p- on the platform on the what you -- you know on the (pause) in assembly (pause) on a stage if you like and he walked in to one side and he got his walking stick and a knobbly walking stick and he just laced into this kid and we never seen that teacher again (pause) he must have (unclear) been sacked

Speaker 1:

Really?

Speaker 3:

Mm-mm

Speaker 1:

Well have you ever been in -- in a fight at school?

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah, uh-huh eh loads of fights I had loads of fights 'cause I was bullied so much and em (pause) they were just scuffles really em but there was one guy em (pause) he was (pause) hitting us and punching us and thumping us and I turned on him big time really and I nearly killed him. I think I nearly had (laughter) I thought I was going to kill him and I had him on the floor and I was punching him, nobody no -- none of the teachers seen me or anything like that but all the kids were gathering around and he was one of my main bullies but he never bothered me again after that (pause) an- an- and neither did the (pause) neither did the others actually after that so it was (pause) that was kind of the end of the main bullying (pause) you know

Speaker 1:

Mm-mm

Speaker 3:

But I had lots of scuffles trying to fend people off you know when they were punching us and kicking us and in assembly they would -- they would give you a little bit of a kick and a little bit of a punch and you would go 'Ow' and then the next minute you know the teachers would say well you know 'What's the matter with you' and stuff like that but it was always other people's fault

Speaker 2:

Speaker 2:

I have never, I've had shouting matches but (pause) never had a proper fight at school it's not very often that you seen girls fighting (pause) though there were I remember a couple of trouble mak- makers (pause) I had eh two girls had a big fight on the field once (pause) everyone was crowding round them shouting and eh I think one girl w- got really hurt and (pause) course the teachers went out and broke it up but I think they (pause) had to take her to hospital for a check-up but em (pause) if anyone was you know trying to start a fight with me I would just walk away I would never (unclear) get into a fight (pause) retaliate (pause)(pause) just really shouting matches em

Speaker 1:

Eh (pause) what did you do for fun when you were kids? (pause) Like any games that you would play?

Speaker 2:

Ah yeah I remember we always had a big thick skipping rope in the street (pause) eh if it was fine weather we were always skipping (pause) the big rope and it all the street used to join in you know there used to be a big (pause) row of kids waiting for their turn skipping em (pause) and we used to play rounders with the bat and ball (pause) eh we had used to join these eh what they called American skips where you joined the elastic bands together and the -- you put them round your ankles (pause) and it was a type of skipping thing used to play that for ages (pause) we just hide and seek we used to play that for (pause) hours em eh you know you had enough (pause) p- people in your street enough children to you know to join in (pause) but eh we just used to make wor own games up really and wor own you know (pause) used to go on the field and play or just out in the street

Speaker 2:

(interruption) Eh

Speaker 3:

(interruption) Yeah we were just always out I mean that was the thing it wasn't you know any particular thing football played a big part, cricket as well we used to p- used to set up a cricket pitch, stuff like that used to (pause) em (pause) you know football and cricket basically (pause) you know obviously pretending you were some top footballer and stuff like that but (pause) being out was the main thing, there was nothing well y- you couldn't do anything indoors (pause) and it was when we got a -- a bike, when we had bikes we used to go for long rides to the airport and stuff like that and just watch the planes and stuff like that and (pause) we used to bike in the rain and all sorts of weather, we used to go swimming a lot where I used to go to the baths a lot but I -- I couldn't really swim but they used to love going to the baths

Speaker 2:

Aye we went swimming as well

Speaker 3:

So there was just ba- basically getting out of (pause) of the house and getting outside (pause) rather than any particular games (unclear)

Speaker 2:

Mm-mm ah aye if someone come to call on you, you always went out (interruption) to play you never went really in each other's houses

Speaker 3:

(interruption) You just went out

Speaker 2:

Not very often anyway (pause) em

Speaker 3:

Or you would just go out and you would know where to go to -- to you know, or the park or something like that you would know exactly where to go to meet up with your friends

Speaker 2:

Mm (pause) 'cause we never had videos you know you couldn't go in and watch a video or anything and there wasn't really that much (pause) on the television(pause) you know just the odd film on but not very often that you would sit and watch

Speaker 3:

You spent your life outdoors you would be out all day long, when you're (unclear) at school(pause) you come back from school even, you'd be straight out

Speaker 2:

Mm-mm

Speaker 3:

Making your own entertainment and you would (pause) you know you were given a time to get in and you would get in at that time (interruption) but you would be out all the time (pause) bustling around the house

Speaker 2:

(interruption) Uh-huh (pause) or your mam would open the door and shout you in uh-huh

Speaker 2:

But eh (pause) I remember (laughter) playing knocky nine doors really with the boy next door em (pause) once when that's when you knock on someone's door and run away I mean it was eh (pause) must have been quite annoying really for the neighbours(laughter) but eh we knocked on this man's door up the street and then of course we ran away and I ran into the garden to hide but eh the boy next door was just like still out in the s- street but round the corner just on his hunches waiting and em the man come out of his door and he come down and he seen em (pause) called him (NAME) (pause) this young lad he would probably only been about eleven or twelve at the time and he just slapped him full on the face I always remember that he had a big red cheek (pause) and you know that wouldn't be allowed these days it was terrible but the neighbours thought nothing you know

Speaker 1:

Yeah

Speaker 2:

Doing that (pause) 'cause he had knocked on his door and ran away

Speaker 2:

(interruption) He slapped him really hard on across the face

Speaker 3:

Oh (interruption) Yeah y- y- you could get a slap, a clip from a neighbour or anybody

Speaker 2:

Mm-mm

Speaker 3:

Or even the police could give you a clip if you were doing (interruption) something wrong

Speaker 1:

(interruption) Really?

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah you wouldn't if -- if -- if many time you were, well not so much me (pause) but eh many the t- the time my friends would be stopped, dragged (pause) you know dragged along by the police and just given a good clip (pause) 'Next time I'll be at your parents' door' (pause) you know

Speaker 1:

Mm-mm

Speaker 3:

Yeah as I say that's another thing you wouldn't get these days

Speaker 2:

Mm-mm

Speaker 1:

(laughter) I know (pause) so what was the best holiday you've ever been on?

Speaker 2:

(pause) Em well we didn't really go away for holidays when I was younger but we always had days out at (interruption) the coast (pause) Cullercoats but eh

Speaker 1:

(interruption) No just (pause) like ever

Speaker 2:

(pause) Probably Florida (pause) when eh (pause) first time I went to Florida (pause) all the rides and things but I didn't like queuing (unclear)(pause) so hot and humid that wasn't very nice but (pause) seeing the theme parks for the first time (pause) was eh really good

Speaker 3:

Eh I've had a (pause) em (pause) a -- a couple really memorable ones really I mean em the first time I (pause) well I say the first time the only time I ever went to Switzerland I really enjoyed that a really, really beautiful country em and I went on a tour there, Switzerland and then later on in my life I went to America, first time I went to America (pause) em and I went from New York down the South ended up in (pause) eh Los Angeles, went to San Francisco, went all the way around Texas and stuff like that so (pause) that was half camping and half em (pause)hotels, that was an enjoyable holiday(pause) em and then the first holiday with the family I suppose that was av- you know I took them to main holiday(pause) took them to Florida (pause) em spent two weeks there (pause) we went back again which was a better holiday for me 'cause (pause) you had a (pause) hired a car so you could get around better, but if I had to pick one I think I would probably pick (pause) em Switzerland, it was the first tour that I did and (pause) you know it was the first class, I went first class and it was really, really beautiful it's a lovely country

Speaker 2:

Mm-mm first time I went abroad was when I was working em (pause) in a hospital and I went with my friends to eh Corfu (pause) and that was the first time I'd ever been abroad(pause) so it was eh for a holiday so it was I really enjoyed that it was lovely and sunny and picturesque (pause) with the nice turquoise seas I enjoyed that holiday

Speaker 1:

Have you got anything like any funny stories from your holidays or anything?

Speaker 3:

(pause) Oh (pause) have you?

Speaker 2:

Well in Florida I remember my son when we went to eh (pause) Sea World (pause) where the big -- big Shamu the killer whale is and em they warned you not to sit near the front (pause) what they called the em (pause) the wet area is was the name I can't remember the exact eh (pause) term they use for it (pause) the (pause) wet zone or something like that but he insisted he wanted to be near the front and of course when the killer whale swam near the tank there was just a wave of water (pause) come over the sides of the tank and he was just like a drowned rat he was soaked course he was laughing he thought it was eh (pause) great fun (pause) but em (pause) that sticks in my mind as quite funny (pause) was it the splash zone or something like that they called it 'Stay away' it come on the tannoy 'from the splash zone' and he -- he used to always mimic the American voice saying that

Speaker 1:

Splash area?

Speaker 2:

The splash area but I mean it was more than a splash area, got a real soaking (interruption)(laughter) but eh uh-huh

Speaker 1:

(interruption)(laughter)

Speaker 3:

Well I don't know about funny stories eh I always remem- I had a I've got a few, but (pause) one that keeps (pause) it's not really funny I don't think but it was just (pause) I think it's -- I thought it was funny (pause) when I went to America you had to be em (pause) between eighteen and thirty I think and this big fat guy, Big (NAME), he em

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 3:

He was annoying and he followed me everywhere (pause) and eh I had to share a tent with him, I had to share a (pause) room with him I don't know why (pause) and (pause) he had (pause) em (pause) a cine camera if I think it's a cine what you call a cine camera but it was a (pause) what you get today would be a video camera, today you would just point it and that would be it (pause) but then you had to actually put a like a little reel in, a little film in and you slotted it in and the holiday was like I don't know nearly a month -- month long I think and eh (pause) nearing the end of well not nearing the end but like three quarters through the holiday we were in Grand -- at the eh Grand Canyon (pause) and eh he says '(NAME)' he says em 'Would you' and I was doing this for him all the time, and he stood at the thing and (pause) with the Grand Canyon behind him and he says 'Will you -- will you do this?' and I s- I pointed it to him and I and he says (pause) you know, he was sending a message to his mam(pause) and y- uh y- 'It isn't half hot here mum'(interruption) and stuff like this

Speaker 2:

(interruption)(laughter)

Speaker 3:

And he was doing this all the time and I could do nothing for laughing (pause) and then I said em and he was doing this rubbing his tummy and dy- trying to rub his head at the same time and that thing that you do that nobody can do but he did it great (pause) and I s- I just happened to say '(NAME), how many reels have you used' you know? And he says 'Oh' he says 'I'm still on the same one' I says 'You can't possibly be still on the same one we're three weeks into a holiday' he says 'Oh yeah listen' and the motor was still going I says 'The motor's still going, but (pause) you've probably ran out of film on the first day the way you've been going on' (interruption) and it turned out he got like three quarters of an hour (laughter)

Speaker 1:

(interruption)(laughter)

Speaker 2:

(tut)(unclear)

Speaker 3:

On his first day and he had been using this -- this eh (pause) em (pause) cine camera thing (pause) for three weeks and we turned (pause) previous to that we turned up at the eh (pause) we were going across the desert or something I don't know where we were and they were doing a em a -- a -- a (pause) em a missile (pause) launch or something (pause) testing a one and eh (pause) the police had stopped us and they said 'You're just going to wait here 'cause you're not allowed to see anything' and (NAME) got up on the top of the bus(pause) and he pointed his camera (pause) in the direction of this launch and a the -- the -- the police(pause) were looking up he says, you know 'What are you doing Mack?'

Speaker 2:

(laughter)

Speaker 3:

So he (laughter) 'I'm going to take this' he says -- he says 'It's five miles away!' (laughter) 'You're not going to see a thing from there'

Speaker 1:

(laughter)

Speaker 3:

So he wouldn't have seen anything anyway 'cause he had run out of -- out of film

Speaker 1:

(laughter)

Speaker 3:

But he was just astonished that this -- this big fat Brit standing on top of the bus trying to (pause)film a (pause) missile launch

Using the Interview Interface

On the left-hand side of the page are the audio player panel [1]
and the interview transcript panel [2]. To scroll through
the text, use the scroll bar on the right-hand side of the transcript panel.

The speaker panels on the right [3] provide background details
for the interview participants. The colour of the panel corresponds
to the colour of that speaker's utterances in the transcript.

The audio and transcript text are linked in 20 second segments. Click
anywhere in the transcript to start playback from that 20 second segment
(the audio may take a few moments to buffer).

Alternatively, you can click the play button (>) in the audio panel
to start the interview from the beginning and then click on the audio time-line to jump
to that part of the recording and transcription.

You can also fast forward (>>) and rewind (<<)
the audio. It will jump 20 seconds with each click of the buttons.

Select a theme from the panel on the right-hand side of the page [4]
to highlight related key words in the transcript. The transcript will jump to the first
relevant key word in the text. Scroll down through the transcript to see further
highlighted words.

Note 1: To preserve anonymity, personal names have been removed.
They are replaced by "(NAME)" in the text, and silence in the audio. For the same
reason, some references to places have also been removed, replaced by "(PLACE)"
in the text.

Note 2: Obscenities are blanked out in the text, and the 20 second segment
of audio that contains them will not play. If the audio stops for this reason, click the
fast forward button (>>) to resume playback with the next 20 second
segment of audio.

Copyright Notice.
Except where sources and copyright holders are otherwise indicated on the website, the contents of
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Karen Corrigan
(Principal Investigator of
The Diachronic Electronic Corpus of Tyneside English,
the AHRC-funded DEDEFI project which
created The Talk of the Toon).
Permission from copyright holders must be obtained before any part of The Talk of the Toon
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